Eagles’ Phillips reaches 1,000-point milestone as sophomore
By Jacob Heid
Sports Writer
When Ayden Phillips hits the hardwood, everything he does stands out.
His length, athleticism and overall basketball IQ have allowed the 6-foot-6 Almond-Bancroft sophomore to dominate anyone that crosses his path.
Phillips recently surpassed a huge high-school scoring milestone in just two seasons at the varsity level.
He scored his 1,000th point during the Eagles’ 89-35 regional quarterfinal win vs. Bowler on Feb. 28.
Phillips had a game-high 24 points.
The sophomore talked about his initial reaction and what it shows about him as a player.
“When I scored my 1,000th point, it felt pretty good. It felt like all that hard work had finally paid off, and I had something to show for it,” Phillips said. “I think scoring my 1,000th point shows that I’m willing to put in the work to achieve a milestone of this magnitude. It has always been in the back of my mind.”
The sophomore big man has had consistent numbers in both seasons in an Eagles uniform.
Phillips is averaging 19.8 points per game in 2022-23, scoring 496 points as of now as a sophomore.
He had a career-high 41 points in a win against Spencer back on Dec. 20.
He is scoring at an efficient clip, making 55% of his shots from inside the 3-point line. That is where he does all of his damage.
Phillips also had a strong freshman campaign last season.
He scored 514 points while averaging a double-double with 20.6 points per game.
Phillips had three 30-point outbursts and had nine games where he scored 25 or more points.
Phillips explained what’s next for him in terms of goals. Does he believe he can get to 2,000 points?
“Yes, I do, but it will be a challenge,” Phillips said. “We will lose some of our key players in the next couple of years that helped me achieve this goal. My next personal goal is to just keep going, perfect some skills that I am not as strong at to be the best player I can be.”
Phillips will be an exciting player to watch as he moves through his junior and senior seasons as he tries to climb to that 2,000-point milestone.
